Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that he led the House of Representatives to reject a major foreign infrastructure loan during his tenure as Speaker because it excluded the South-East geopolitical zone from project allocations.
Speaking at an induction event for new Federal Character Commission (FCC) commissioners in Abuja, Gbajabiamila stated that the executive branch at the time was displeased with his refusal to approve the loan, which was intended to fund projects across all zones except the South-East.
“The members of the House scrutinised the application and discovered the loan covered all zones except the South-East,” he explained. “We refused to pass it for months until we extracted a commitment from the government to include the region.”
Gbajabiamila, who served as Speaker from 2019 to 2023, emphasized that the decision was based on principles of equity and federal character. He argued it would be unjust for a region to repay a national loan from which it derived no benefit.
The President’s Chief of Staff also highlighted the broader role of the FCC, urging commissioners to actively monitor and flag imbalances in project distribution and budget allocations before they reach the legislature.
He encouraged the new appointees to demonstrate courage in their duties, noting that “this assignment demands the courage to say no when pressured and to defend the Constitution even when it is inconvenient.”
The remarks underscore ongoing discussions about equitable resource distribution and inclusion in national development planning.
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